"Nekojiru-So" is based on the original story Nekojiru; I made free use, however, of images that came to mind, so that the animation turned into a kind of collage. This infantile approach is no doubt largely responsible for the strangeness of what seems to be a coherent story line, but isn't. Digitalization has made it possible for small numbers of people to employ original processes to produce commercial animation. The TV animation industry abounds with "cut-corner" techniques; you only need to change that approach just slightly to come up with films like "Nekojiru-So". No matter what processes are used, the spirit of animation-making pictures move and bringing things to life-remains the same.

"Nekojiru-So" appears to be a surreal, dreamlike story of two cute little kittens, but actually the story is fragmented. Concealed in its darkly hallucinatory images and startling scenes is a scathing satire on modern medicine, weather management, strange foods, global warming, and more. Scenes like the one in which ocean waves and whales dry up and harden are a means of artistic expression that is the unique property of animation. "Nekojiru-So" takes the viewer on a weird, mindbending voyage that is entirely new to animated films. (via)

Born on July 7, 1964 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from Waseda University School of Law, Sato worked as an animator at Asia-do, an animation company. Later he worked as a director on Chibi Maruko Chan ("Little Maruko"), Nintama Rantaro ("Rantaro, Ninja in the Making"), and Akazukin ChaCha ("Red Riding Hood ChaCha").

Chibimaruko plays yoyo (fragmento)

Ninja Boy rantaro capitulo 1 parte 1

Akazukin Chacha: Young Dorothy

In 1995 He commanded widespread attention when he directed his first original TV animation for NHK, Tobe! Isami ("Fly! Isami").

Tobe! Isami capitulo 1

Nadesico ep 1 part 1

In 1996, Sato directed Kido Senkan Nadeshiko ("Mobile Warship Nadeshiko"), which became a hit and catapulted him to fame in the world of animation. He did direction, storyboards, and screenplay for the tremendously popular full-length animated film Nadeshiko the Movie: Prince of Darkness, which was released in 1998. The film and Sato won the 38th Japan SF Convention Seiun (Japanese Hugo) Award, the 21st Animage Anime Gran Prix Grand Prize and prizes in four other divisions, and the 1st SF Online Award in the Movie Division. Sato writes a serial column, Watashi-Ryu Gyokai E-Konte ("Doing Commercial Storyboards My Way") in the monthly publication Hoso Bunka ("Broadcast Culture"). He is also at work on the TV animation series Gakuen Senki Muryo ("Muryo and the Campus Wars"), which began airing on the NHK BS-2 channel in May 2001. (via)

Welcome back for another great interview! This one was with Tatsuo Sato, a Jack of all Trades in the anime industry, but overall he is considered an animation director. He has been involved in many quality productions including Akazukin Cha Cha, Kodomo no Omocha, Kare Kano, Di Gi Karat, Jubei chan, Ninja Scroll the TV series, and his latest work, Uchuu no Stellvia. He has acted in many different roles including directing, script writing, and editing. For the Nadesico TV series and the Movie-Prince of Darkness he was director, script writer, and storyboardist! So, what does such an accomplished anime veteran think? Keep reading to find out in this exclusive interview!

DVJ- First, welcome! I want to thank you for meeting with me today. Sato san, You were known as a Jack of all Trades in the anime industry. Is there any particular aspect you feel you specialize in?

Sato- My specialty would be comedy animation

DVJ- What about the various jobs in the animation industry?

Sato- I started out as a director, but my favorite thing to do is storyboarding.

DVJ- When was it you decided you wanted your life to be anime?

Sato- When I was about to graduate college I wanted to pursue my career in the film industry, but because of my major being Political Science I didn't have any connection to the film industry and I thought the anime industry would be the easiest way to get into the business.

DVJ- Did you have a passion for anime prior to your college education?

Sato- I wouldn't say anime in particular, but I have always been interested in the film genre including manga.

DVJ-How did you get the job of assistant director for Kankarasanshin?

Sato- I started out working as an animator, but because I wasn't fast at making the animation I thought maybe there was a way to earn money quicker. Unfortunately the studio did not have any positions open, but I found out that there is a position called assistant director who gets paid a fixed salary. So, I told the people at the studio that I wanted to be one, so that was how I got the job.

DVJ- You've done so much work as director, storyboardist, and editor for the Nadesico TV show and Movie. How much time did you have to finish the show?

Sato- The actual production took a year for the full TV series and another year for the movie, but because Nadesico started as a completely different project they weren't going to call the project the Nadesico project, so because of the changes it took an extra 6 months for development. So, that was prior to the TV series production. So from development to completion the TV series took a year and a half and the movie took a year.

DVJ-What was your favorite aspect of it?

Sato- The most interesting point or what I really liked about making the project was at the time I already had several projects prior to Nadesico where I worked as director, but for this project I was doing much more. I had a lot of input on the package designs and the concepts of the LD covers and DVD covers in addition to some creative to creating catch or marketing phrases for promotion of the project.

DVJ- Earlier you said Nadesico was actually going to be something completely different. Originally what was it supposed to be?

Sato- So initially I don't recall what planet it took place on, but instead of taking place on Earth this other project took place on one planet and the were completely different. They were not anything similar to the Nadesico characters. it was mainly the female military characters that the former project was all about. I just can't remember the name....To tell you the truth there was actual another project before this one and that was called "Time Jumper." This is actually a story about a high school girl who unites with a time machine.

DVJ- When transitioning from manga to anime how do you make the decisions as to what is changed and what remains the same?

Sato- Because I have never directed an anime based off a manga (and the director is the one who makes those decisions) I wouldn't know, but I have actually done storyboarding of an anime that was based on a manga, and when I do that I listen to the director's comments and I also listen to the original creator's comments and I find differences between each and judge which is better and which is worse. Then I go ahead on my own and decide which I want to incorporate.

DVJ- Are the manga creators involved in this process? Do they also get to decide what stays and what is changed?

Sato- Well, in terms of storyboarding I don't get to work closely with the creator, but in cases where I meet the original creator at like a party and get to know that person well then I would know what that person is thinking. So, rather than listening to the director I would incorporate a lot of what the original creators have in mind.

DVJ- Going back to Nadesico, why was the tone of the Nadesico movie so much darker than the TV series and in conjunction with that, why was the movie left open-ended? Are you planning on doing anything else with Nadesico?

Sato- To your first question about why the Nadesico Movie was so much darker, the reason why the movie was much darker than the TV series was because we really wanted to make the quality of the movie a very high one, and if you try to make the quality high then it automatically becomes more serious. Thats why it seems darker than the TV series. The other question about why the movie ended with an open end was because we had the intention of making a sequel, but by leaving it open ended it gives the audience a chance to imagine whats going to happen in the future. So, the ending will be left up to what the audience thought. Also, by making it dark and open ended I thought I could give the movie a brighter future in contrast to the actual story line of the movie

DVJ- So what future productions can we look forward to from you?

Sato- I am actually making Stellvia 2 right now. So that would be the nearest new project. Stellvia 2 will be more passionate in comparison to Stellvia 1. In Stellvia one we had all these groups of characters that were considered more elite. In Stellvia 2, we will meet with all these new characters that are more in the norm. (via)